Lake Conway will close for 5 years, drained for lake rehabilitation

Reporter

Restocking catchable sized fish to lakes near Lake Conway.

MAYFLOWER, Ark. (ARKANSAS GAME & FISH) —Since Lake Conway will be drained and close for rehabilitation, there will be a large gap in fishing for the region.

So hatcheries are planning additional stockings of catfish to Conway Station Park in Conway and Matthews Park Pond in Greenbrier, both part of the AGFC’s Family and Community Fishing Program, to help anglers in these two cities who may have normally driven to Lake Conway.

“We have other local ponds in the Conway and Mayflower area like the pond at the Mayflower shooting range that we’ll also add catchable catfish to, with most of our stockings going up to 200 percent of their current rate,” Laird said. “And nearby lakes like Brewer Lake, Harris Brake Lake and Lake Overcup will see increases in catchable catfish stockings as well.”

The stockings will focus on catchable-size catfish.

“We will continue to stock other species at fingerling size according to recommendations from our fisheries management biologists,” Laird said. “Catfish are one of two species (trout being the other) that we can grow to catchable size in our facilities to give anglers more of that instant reward. Bass, crappie and other gamefish require much more resources and space to reach catchable size than we can accommodate in a hatchery setting. Mother Nature does the heavy lifting on those.”

Family fishing programs will continue as other lakes are stocked.

Director Austin Booth announced in June 2023 the beginning the renovation of Craig D. Campbell Lake Conway Reservoir. The plan includes replacing the lake’s aging spillway and will be the largest lake renovation project in the agency’s 108-year history.

“It was the effort that the Commission undertook in the 1940s to begin the construction of Lake Conway that led to the creation of Amendment 35 and created the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in its modern form,” Booth said. “The AGFC is not just doubling down on outdoor recreation on Lake Conway and Faulkner County, but also on the conservation ethos that existed here in the 1940s, that we know is alive and well in 2023, and so that future Arkansans can enjoy Lake Conway at its full potential.”

At the time of its construction, Lake Conway was the largest lake ever constructed by a state wildlife agency. During the last 75 years it has provided hundreds of thousands of anglers fantastic fishing experiences, but the spillway has far exceeded its expected lifespan. During the last few years, multiple repairs have been needed to keep the structure working. The AGFC plans to replace the old, manually operated gate system with a concrete weir that offers increased capacity to manage water levels.

Removing the water will allow the sediment (3-5 feet) to settle and compact, making the lake deeper.

The gates of the spillway are expected to be opened Sept. 1 to begin a controlled drawdown for the renovation. Most of the lake’s fish will leave the lake through the spillway into Palarm Creek and the Arkansas River. Commissioners are expected to vote on a change during their July 20 meeting to lift limits, letting anglers make use of fish from the lake before the drawdown is complete.

Once the lake is drawn down, it is expected to remain dry for up to five years to complete all aspects of the proposed renovation.

Booth explained that silt and sediment have built up on the lake’s bottom since the lake opened. This natural byproduct of aging has taken away as much as 3 feet of depth in portions of the lake and much of the lake’s prime spawning habitat. Booth said engineers and biologists estimate that 40 percent of the lake's original 40,000-acre-foot volume has been replaced with sediment, leaving many boat houses in the northern quarter of the lake inaccessible. An extended drawdown will let the silt dry and compact, regaining some lost depth.

Draining the lake will allow them to dredge boat channels deeper and mark them to make lanes more accessible and easy to navigate.

“We will greatly increase the volume available for fish and fishermen through this compaction,” Booth said.

Organic matter trapped in the sediment will decompose and be taken up by grass, brush and trees and recycle those nutrients into the system. Once the lake is again flooded, this new growth will create excellent cover the fishery has not seen in decades. A similar project, conducted at Lower White Oak Lake in 2012, has yielded exceptional results from the “new lake effect” of flooding such growth and managing from a clean slate.

The AGFC also plans to intensify complex cover for fish in key areas of the lake. Gravel spawning beds will increase productivity for bream and other sunfish. Additional cypress tree plantings will create more natural cover, and staff plans to take on massive artificial habitat projects to create large amounts of PVC fish attractors and brush piles. Another recent renovation at Lake Poinsettsaw 174 habitat sites established in the 341-acre lake. AGFC plans to match that effort, but at a much larger scale. Booth said well over 350 habitat sites are planned for the lake, adding as many as 3,000 fish-attracting structures once renovation is complete.

Draining the lake will enable the AGFC to start with a clean slate and focus the lake’s nutrients toward desirable species, including crappie, bream, Florida largemouth bass and flathead catfish. The lake’s fertility will then allow these fish to grow quickly.

Boat ramps will be extended and repaired while the lake closes for 5 years.

The dry lakebed also will make it possible for the AGFC to make Lake Conway much more boater-friendly. “Old Stumpy'' will still be full of cover, but the agency plans to make many improvements to the 23 miles of boat lanes around the lake. Lanes will be cleared as much as possible and new, higher visibility markers will be installed to increase navigation safety.

Boat ramps also will be improved as the AGFC will work to dredge channels near the ramps, clear stumps and other debris from around boat-launching areas and enhance access points. Additional work along the shore also will allow for more convenient launching and loading of boats (Courtesy Arkansas Game and Fish).

Click here to read the full article and the impacts on the town of Mayflower, Arkansas which lies on the south end of the lake.

Reporter